By Art Streiber Art Streiber The Generosity of Key and Peele: To illustrate the work of Adam Grant and his theories on the benefits of helping others, we asked the comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele to demonstrate the … Continue reading →

Although I think manners are important, I don’t think this is the critical issue. Geeks can learn to better communicate who they are by learning to listen actively, to engage others, to work together, to understand others. These are the … Continue reading →

It’s true. Did you know that up to 80% of a human being’s ability to “read” other people — that is the ability to understand what another person is feeling whether it be love, anger, sadness, etc. — comes from … Continue reading →

You and your geek brethren are responsible for every innovation since one of your fraternity invented fire many eons ago. Yet, for all your efforts, your only reward from society is scorn! Is it because non-geeks suck? Well, partly. But … Continue reading →

March 18, 2013 By JOHN TIERNEY BAD NEWS SELLS. If it bleeds, it leads. No news is good news, and good news is no news. Those are the classic rules for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers, based partly … Continue reading →

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSON March 23, 2013 CAN you remember the last time you were in a public space in America and didn’t notice that half the people around you were bent over a digital screen, thumbing a connection to … Continue reading →

Autism – and its milder cousin Asperger’s syndrome – is surging among the children of Silicon Valley. Are math-and-tech genes to blame? By Steve Silberman Nick is building a universe on his computer. He’s already mapped out his first planet: … Continue reading →

from Geek Dad, Wired.com 8/12 Feeling good was good enough for Janis Joplin and her Bobby McGee, but most parents want a little more for their kids, perhaps including a sense of coherence, positive coping, social engagement, and pro-social values. … Continue reading →

In Hiring, a Friend in Need Is a Prospect, Indeed By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ Published: January 27, 2013 Riju Parakh wasn’t even looking for a new job. But when a friend at Ernst & Young recommended her, Ms. Parakh’s résumé … Continue reading →

Colleges step in to fill students’ social-skills gaps By Jon Marcus , Hechinger Report After final exams are over, MIT students will return from their holiday break to experience something different from their usual studies—but almost as important. It’s the … Continue reading →

I often hear my sister-in-law answer the telephone. Her “hello” sounds like someone who has never before seen this device call the telephone. She hears a ringing coming from this device that she usually texts on. “What is strange sound … Continue reading →

People tend to grossly underestimate how likely others are to agree to requests for help. And many don’t know how to ask for help. They also overestimate how many people will come to them for help. Francis Flynn presented at … Continue reading →

This communication tip is written by Patricia Weber for the readers of Communication Weekly. Visit Weber’s website www.prostrategies.com. Mark Dykeman, an online blogger who no longer maintains his Mighty Introvert Blog, has an appropriate metaphor for what happens to the introvert in … Continue reading →

The new book Likeonomics is about how likeability is the secret to building real trust. But it is NOT about just being nice. By weaving together cutting edge psychological research with real life stories of everything from the shocking moment … Continue reading →

Melissa Marshall has a message for scientists and engineers: Contrary to popular belief, the general public is interested in your work and does want to hear the details of your research. The trick is that you must communicate your ideas … Continue reading →

by Roger Martin Chris Argyris’ “Teaching Smart People How To Learn” utterly changed the way I thought about management. It didn’t just give me a somewhat different view; it convinced me of the exact opposite of what I had believed … Continue reading →

So I have been in the dark about how much money engineers _actually_ make until recently. Apparently, these smart guys and gals rake it in — even in comparison to those of us in investment banking, especially when adjusting on … Continue reading →

From Subjunctivemorality.com Disclaimer: If this comes across as ranty, that’s probably because it is. There’s this trend online where some people seem to think that being in front of a computer entitles them to flout the rules of basic interpersonal … Continue reading →

Fascinating article in the October issue of “FastCompany” discusses how education shouldn’t all be about the STEM disciplines–science, technology, engineering, mathematics– but should be fostering innovation, creativity, problem solving. Indian tech outsourcing companies say that the American system is the best … Continue reading →

Fear has always been my biggest motivator and my biggest inhibitor. At first I am stunned by the feeling, unable to move, to meet the challenge. Then, as a I look for a way to quell my fear, I turn … Continue reading →

How to take the lead when communicating with your higher-ups By Joel Schwartzberg – September 28, 2012 You may have only one career, but you have two key jobs. The first is doing whatever you were hired to do. The … Continue reading →

I had just come out of a meeting with a group of engineers and I was shaken. A younger IT guy was pitching his idea for a product feature of the chief technical officer and the CTO didn’t like the … Continue reading →

Here are 12 things that you can learn to do by practicing the three pillars of people skills — observe, listen, acknowledge. When you listen and observe, you learn about people, how they act, what they feel, who they are. … Continue reading →

We all think we are able to listen but are we really able to hear and demonstrate to the person speaking that we really are hearing what they’re saying? Students studying psychology on the road to becoming psychotherapists spend a … Continue reading →

How Well Do You “Read” People? Take this free (anonymous) test…

Did you know that up to 80% of a human being's ability to "read" other people -- that is the ability to understand what another person is feeling whether it be love, anger, sadness, etc. -- comes from observing another person's eyes?

Folks with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) often are unable to read the eyes.Take this simple test by autism expert Simon Barron-Cohen (yes, he IS Sacha's uncle!) to see how you do on the people reading scale.

http://glennrowe.net/baroncohen/faces/eyestest.aspx

Meta Data

search

Search for:

Free People Skills Test

Here is a fun, free Social Skills Test from psychtests.com>. It takes about 30 minutes, it's anonymous (you don't even give your email address) and the results will tell you a lot about your people skills and in what areaa you might use a tune-up.
What's fun about it? Questions like these: